Wheel structure and assembly



y 1 0- G. A, LY ON v 2,200,205

WHEEL STRUCTURE AND ASSEMBLY Filed 21, 1939 i ornamental appearance, the wheel covers being the liq ly extending fl e portion to increase meal Me 'I, 940 I r 2,500,205

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE I I winter. srallc'ruaa znnassalmr 4 1 George Albert Lyon, Allenhurst; N. 1.

Application December 21, 1939; Serial No. 810,333

2 Claims. (01. so -3'1) g This invention relates to a wheel structure and uiacture and which is rugged and reliable in use assembly, and more particularly to a novel wheel and which cooperates with a vehicle wheel in a member or wheel cover which cooperates with a novel manner. vehicle whee1 in a, nov l manner and whi h is d Another and still further object of the present a signed i ueh mann a t bl quick and invention is to provide a novel wheel disk having easy removal 01' the wheelmember or cover from a central d h p p i n and an obliquely th wh l. I axially rearwardly and radially inwardly project- The majority of vehicle wheels of today are 18 Outer marginal p i Which s te minatedin equipped with ornamental whe l m b r r a rolled, continuous, flexible annular bead-like 10 wheel covers over a substantial part of their outer edge whi h is rr n t be sp un ver ri id 10 surfaces, Th use of th wheel eevers permits projections on a vehicle wheel to resiliently re-' I emere economical manufacture of vehlele 1 tain the wheel disk on the wheel and wherein since the wheels themselves may be designed solethe central dome-shaped portion is provided with 1y for strength and utility without regard to a p rality ofribs or corrugations in Pr x y to employed for th latt r ur The t popthe stillness of the disk in this locality.

ular form of wh cover t th present, ti 1 The novel features which I believe to be charoh having h l polished exterior surface, acteristic of my invention are set forth with par- Th t ri urfac of t wheel cover may, of ticularity in the appended claims. My invention course. be finished in any other suitable manner, itself. ow h s to its or anization and 20 such as by enameling r th like, manner of construction, together with further ob- In order to minimize the total cost of the wheel jects and advantages therein, y st e underassembly, it is of course necessary to minimize Stood y reference t the following description the cost or the wheel disk as well as that or the taken in connection with the c pa y drawwheel as much as possible. The thinner the sheet 1 8, in whi h:

metal stock is which is employed to make th Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vehicle wheel cover, the greater the saving in its manu- W l cover ly; I facturing cost. "It has been found that a wheel Figure 2 is a fragmentary front View Of 8 D i or cover be constructed of sheet t 1 tion or the wheel and wheel cover assembly with t which is extremely t m when t is properly a portion of the wheel cover broken away so as 30 designed to resist mounting and removal stresses o V w th assembly 1 8 the l -I f Figat certain or particular localities. ure 1; and

It is an object of the present invention to pro-' Figure 3. is an enlarged fragmentary sectional vide a novel wheel structure or wheel member for View showing the upp D h Wheel and disposition on a wheel. wheel cover assembly of Figure l. 35

Another object of the present invention is to Referring now to the Particular em odiment of provide a novel wheel structure 7 and wheel asy invention which is illustrated in the r w sembly wherein the wheel structure is made or there is shown a wheel assembly comprising a, vevery thin sheet metal stock and wherein the hicle wheel l0 and a wheel cover or wheel disk ll."

' 4e sheet metal stock is provided with a novel shape The w eel It comprises a rim part I! d a body 40 to resist and withstand mounting and remov- D Th r I2 i 01 the u a drop center ing stresses as well as to provide a tight resilient ty e a d inc es a b e n e 14., opposite inengagement of the wheel structure on the wheel. r e e de flanges pp i e intermediate A further object of the present invention is to ase fl n es 6. n pp i ed Portions I1. provide a novel wheel structure or wheel cover e p center rim as illustrated is of the 45 member having an obliquely radially inwardly type commonly emp y in h utomotive reand axially rearwardly projecting outer periphhicle art of the present day, and, as is well known eral portion which is terminated by a small tigh to those skilled in the art, isarranged to receive 1y rolled edge, the obliquely projectin flange pop. and accommodate a pneumatic tire (not shown). 7 tion being disposed so asto be readily engaged by f The body part l3 of the wheel I!) includ in 50 a pry-ofl tool to remove the wheel cover from a general, a rearwardly ext di outer flange l8, vehicle wheel. an outer web portion [9, a generally axially rear- Another and further object of the present inwardly and slightly radially inwardly extending vention is to provide a novel wheel structure or inner web portion 20, and a radially inwardly exwheel covermember whichis economical to mautending wheel mounting flange II. The rear- 55 wardly extending outer flange I8 is secured'to the underside of the base flange ll oi the rim l2 in any suitable manner, such as by welding or riveting (not shown). Circumferentially spaced portions of the flange iii are depressed radially inwardly as at 22 to permit circulation of air through the wheel. The rear edges 23 of the depressed portions 22 are cut back as is clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawing.

The wheel mounting flange 2| is provided with an annular series of apertures 24 for the reception of the usual wheel mounting bolts (not shown) which bolts are arranged to extend therethrough into engagement with the hub portion or brake drum of the vehicle (not shown).

The outer web portion 19 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially outwardly projecting short ribs or protuberances 25. These short ribs 25 may be formed on the wheel ID in any suitable manner, and may be initially separate pieces which are welded or otherwise secured to the wheel or they may be integral with the wheel as is shown in Figure 1 and formed by pressing up portions of the web l9. As is indicated in Figures 1 an'd'2, four of these short ribs or protuberances are employed in the embodiment of the invention illustrated and described herein.

The wheel cover or wheel disk II includes in general a central dome-shaped portion 26 and an obliquely rearwardly and radially inwardly outer marginal portion or flange 21 which terminates in a continuous, flexible, annular, tightly rolled edge or bead, 28.- In the radial outer region of the central dome-shaped portion 26 of the disk ll, just before it merges into the obliquely extending flange portion 21, a plurality of corrugations 29 are provided to stifien the disk in this region.

When the wheel cover or wheel disk II is mounted on the wheel M a continuous, annular,

flexible curled or rolled edge 28 is sprung over the short ribs or projecting portions 25 of the wheel ID to a nested position as is clearly shown in Figure 3.- The wheel disk H is tightly held in secured engagement on the wheel I 0 by its own inherent resiliency. As is clearly shown in Figure 3 a pry-oil tool 30, such as a screw-driver, tire tool, or the like, may be inserted behind the obliquely rearwardly extending flange 21 and then. iulcrumed about the-.gouter. edge of the rim l2 to dislodge the wheel disk II from the wheel. The end of the pry-ofl' tool 30 engages the obliquely rearwardly projectingflange 21 which flange provides a sufficiently large surface to render it easily engageable by the pry-off tool 30.

The tightly curled or rolled extremity of the flange 21, which is indicated by the reference numeral 28, comprises a sumcient reinforcement of the relatively thin sheet metal employed to. form the wheel disk ll so that it will not be deformed when it is sprung over the projecting ribs or portions 25. The corrugations or ribs 29 which are formed in the dome-shaped portion 26 of the wheeldisk ll stiffen the wheel disk It in the general region where'it is being stressed by the flexing oi! the continuous, annular rolled edge 28 as it is mounted on the wheel III. This provision of a corrugated or ribbed portion 29 near the radial outer portion of the wheel disk II has been found very desirable in a wheel disk of the design herein described for in some cases it was found that the wheel disk I! tended to buckle in this region when it was being mounted on the wheel.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will, oi. course, be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as will fall within. the true spirit and scope 01' my invention,

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wheel structure including a wheel hav ing rim and body parts one of which parts has 5 ly rolled continuous circular edge flexible into retaining cooperation with said protuberance means, said flange providing a surface of substantial area for engagement by a pry-oil tool to remove said cover member from said wheel, and said edge by reason of its being tightly rolled and small resisting permanent indentation when it is pressed into retaining engagement with said protuberance means as well as when said flange is engaged by a pry-oil tool, said outer cover portion comprising an integral rib-like shoulder for reinforcing the ,cover member in the vicinity of the flange, so as to serve as a backing against which the flange flexes.

2. A wheel structure as defined in claim 1 in.

which the outer cover portion comprises a resilient grown portion having a plurality of integral reini'orcing ribs adjacent the junction of said outer coverportion and said flange.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

tion, said edge portion comprising a'small tight- 

